The Bikan district is a part Kurashiki city (倉敷市), a historic city located in the west of Okayama Prefecture. The city itself has a long history associated with feuds between different clans. It was a thriving river port during the Edo period, a time when many distinctive white-walled, black-tiled warehouses were built to store goods. The Bikan area contains many fine examples of these 17th century wooden warehouses, along a picturesque canal surrounded by weeping willows and filled with koi carp. The locals of this part of the city have worked very hard to maintain the traditional feel of the Edo era.
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Find out more about Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter.
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Ben Beechey @ben.beechey
I moved to Japan in late 2007 and lived in the beautiful mountainous setting of Nagano-ken for two very fun years. Although the scenery in Nagano was stunning and the snowboarding conditions second to none, I decided to try life in the fast lane and moved to Tokyo in 2009. I have been in Tokyo since, and am currently based in Nakano-ku. Living in Tokyo fascinates me on a daily basis, there are so many interesting people to meet, places to discover and adventures to be had. My passion is photography, both analogue and digital and I also enjoy snowboarding, cycling and traveling in my spare time. If you'd like to see some of my photographic work, feel free to check it out at: www.benbeechphoto.com Thanks for stopping by today!
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The Bikan area is absolutely FREE but what you will have to watch is spending your money in the great shops that line the streets there. Thanks for adding Okayama onto your holiday plans.